Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 552 The World is for All
"Sing!"

"Living for tens of millions of years..."

In mid-October of the fourteenth year of the Hongwu reign (1389), just one day before the winter solstice, Liu Jilong finally returned to Luoyang with his imperial entourage.

His return brought a sigh of relief to countless people, simply because Crown Prince Liu Lie, who was acting as regent, had been too harsh in his investigations in Jiangnan.

Although the court officials all knew that the Crown Prince had obtained the Emperor's approval to carry out such a method, they were able to act so boldly.

However, the court officials also knew that His Majesty could not return before the capital inspection ended, and his return now meant that the capital inspection was over.

The four-year-long, thirteen-province imperial examination is about to end, which has brought a sigh of relief to countless officials.

At this moment, they were welcoming the emperor's carriage outside Xuanyao Gate in Luoyang. Crown Prince Liu Lie led the cabinet, the three provinces and six ministries, and the five military governorates to greet them in front.

As Liu Lie greeted them, the jade carriage pulled up in front of them, and Zhao Ying stepped out.

"His Majesty has decreed that, three hours from now, all officials of the fifth rank and above in the court shall be discussed in the Zhenguan Hall."

"Your subject will obey your decree..."

After the imperial decree was read out, the imperial carriage began to move at Zhao Ying's signal, and Liu Lie and the others made way for it.

Led by the jade carriage, more than ten large carriages followed closely behind into the Ziwei City of Luoyang.

Watching the imperial procession disappear into the distance, Liu Lie stood there with an unchanged expression, but felt an emptiness in his heart.

His father had returned, and his power as regent would be taken back. This feeling of losing power was truly unsettling for him.

Even though he knew that his father had already accepted him and that the position on the golden platform would be his sooner or later, he was still somewhat agitated.

He was already twenty-eight years old, while his father was still in good health. When would he be able to become the master of the Han Dynasty completely?
"Your Highness?"

"Let's go."

Zhang Chengye's voice rang out behind him, and Liu Lie finally reacted. He led the officials back to their respective offices to prepare for the memorials submitted over the past eight months, in order to address the regular meeting three hours later.

Three hours, which usually feel like plenty of time, now seem to pass in a mere quarter of an hour.

Even though many court officials were prepared in advance, they still had to fill in the missing information on the tablets.

Under this sense of urgency, three hours passed quickly, and the court officials arrived at Zhenguan Hall a quarter of an hour early, and entered the hall under the organization of Yang Zhiwen, the Minister of Rites.

Inside the hall, hundreds of tables and chairs were arranged on both sides. The officials were seated in order of their rank and position, according to the three ranks of honor, official position, and honorary title.

The Han Dynasty lasted for fourteen years, plus the seven years of eastward expansion before its founding, totaling twenty-one years.

Over the course of these twenty-one years, the court officials had long been accustomed to sitting during court sessions and did not find anything amiss.

The kneeling ceremony was restricted to occasions such as sacrifices to Heaven and Earth, the emperor, and the enthronement of a new emperor, which spared the old ministers the pain of kneeling on the crescent-shaped stool.

Compared to the crescent-shaped stool sandwiched between the legs, the stable and comfortable official chair with a backrest is much more comfortable.

"Sing!"

"Living for tens of millions of years..."

When Yang Zhiwen's voice rang out, the officials all rose from their chairs, their movements perfectly synchronized as if they had rehearsed it.

"Flat body."

Liu Jilong's voice rang out from the golden platform, and the assembled officials bowed in greeting before returning to their chairs.

After more than eight months apart, Liu Jilong on Jintai seemed to have lost some of his sharpness compared to before he set off.

The loss of his sharp edge made him look a few years older, but he still looked younger than most of the court officials.

Although it was only an eight-month change, given that the autumn taxes had already been collected and tallied, the six ministries—the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Rites—were the first to report, followed closely by the Five Military Commissions.

"In that year, officials throughout the land..."

Li Gunshi, the Minister of Personnel, was the first to stand up and speak. Through his free and unrestrained speech, the situation of officials in the Han Dynasty was presented to everyone.

After four years of inspections in the capital, there are now more than 2,800 officials in the two capital regions, more than 23,400 officials throughout the country, and more than 187,000 assistants and clerks.

Compared to before the capital inspection, the number of officials in the two capital regions decreased by more than 800, the number of officials throughout the country decreased by more than 13,000, and the number of assistant clerks and clerks decreased by more than 94,000.

These declining figures sent a chill down the spines of many officials, but Liu Jilong said nothing after hearing them, only nodding slightly.

Seeing this, Li Gunshi said no more, bowed, and sat back down in his seat.

After he sat down, Feng Bangyan of the Ministry of Revenue also stood up and said to Liu Jilong, "This year, there are households throughout the land..."

Compared to the simplicity of the Ministry of Personnel, the affairs of the Ministry of Revenue were far more complicated.

After all, the Ministry of Revenue of the Han Dynasty was established by Liu Jilong based on the advantages of the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Although it cannot be said that it completely controlled the financial power of the entire Han Dynasty, at least 70% of the funds had to pass through the Ministry of Revenue.

According to Feng Bangyan, the population of the Han Dynasty reached over 47 million, and the cultivated land also increased to over 318 million mu due to the discovery of hidden cultivated land and newly reclaimed land.

In the fourteenth year of the Hongwu reign, twenty-two prefectures and seventy-nine counties were affected by disasters and were exempted from taxes. That year, the revenue from rice and wheat taxes amounted to more than 42.4 million shi (a unit of dry measure).

In addition, the annual revenue of the imperial court, including gold, silver, copper coins, silk, cloth, salt, wine, tea, and minerals, amounted to 14 million strings of cash, of which the gold and silver mines acquired from Japan alone accounted for more than 600,000 strings of cash.

This was even before the Iwami and Mutsu mining areas received advanced mining technology from the Great Han.

If these mines all produced gold and silver, Japan simply wouldn't have the capacity to absorb so much gold and silver. The value of the gold and silver flowing into the Han Dynasty each year would not be less than two million strings of cash.

Based on the current grain price, the Han Dynasty's fiscal revenue is around 30 million strings of cash, which is 3 million strings higher than during the Tianbao era.

The burden of taxes on ordinary people is heavy, but fortunately the imperial court simply collects the taxes and then distributes the money through work relief programs.

Even if many people embezzle money and grain, they will eventually have to return what they have embezzled.

"Now all the granaries in the two capital regions are full, with a total of more than 24.8 million strings of gold, silver and copper coins, and 9.57 million shi of grain."

"The various provincial and municipal authorities and their treasuries have accumulated 14.65 million strings of cash and 54.32 million shi of grain, enough to supply the court for three years."

According to Feng Bangyan, even with millions of workers employed through work-for-relief programs during the off-season, the Han Dynasty still managed to accumulate enough money and grain to sustain the court's daily operations for three years.

The officials were surprised by this, but they were not entirely unaware of it.

After all, everyone knew about the imperial court's investigation and confiscation of property, and the powerful and wealthy families in Jiangnan, whose power was weak, had contributed countless sums of money and grain to the imperial court.

What Feng Bangyan reported was only the imperial court's own treasury reserves, while the antiques, paintings, and rare treasures confiscated by the court all went into the royal treasury.

These items are quite valuable, not to mention that the imperial court allocates 300,000 strings of cash to the inner treasury every year to maintain the operation of the two capitals and local palaces.

Lost in thought, none of the officials noticed that Liu Jilong had already nodded and gestured for Feng Bangyan to sit down. After Feng Bangyan sat down, Yang Xin, the Minister of Justice, was the first to stand up.

His standing up caused concern among many officials, while also arousing considerable curiosity.

"Your Majesty, the court has ordered various departments to inspect the Jiangnan region. Now, both the eastern and western circuits of Jiangnan have completed the inspections."

“There were 4,467 officials who committed crimes, 33,050 assistants and clerks, and 196 families of rebels.”

According to the "Great Han Law", 5,976 people should be executed, and the rest should be implicated in the crimes committed by their relatives. The total number of criminals is roughly over 500,000.

After Yang Xin finished speaking, many officials took a deep breath, feeling their blood rushing to their heads and their heads congested.

It should be noted that the total population of the two provinces in Jiangnan is only over 17 million. If 500,000 people are implicated, it means that one in every 30 people will be affected.

In this situation, it is impossible to say that these more than 500,000 people are innocent, but there are definitely many innocent people involved.

His Majesty's methods to consolidate the southern border are far too brutal...

"I do not wish to kill, yet the number of executions is still too high."

Liu Jilong spoke indifferently, his tone so cold it was unsettling. Yang Xin bowed and replied, "Your subject understands."

Although Liu Jilong spared the lives of thousands of people with a single word, this did not change his image in the eyes of the officials.

Since his eastward advance, at least three million people have been forcibly relocated. Some were relocated as surrendered soldiers, criminal officials, criminal bureaucrats, and traitors, while others were implicated in the rebellion.

It took fourteen years of recuperation after the founding of the Han Dynasty for the population to barely reach 47 million, with 3 million people affected by migration alone.

Now, another 500,000 so-called criminals have been added. The fate of these criminals will probably be either being exiled to southern Xinjiang or northern Xinjiang.

Thinking of this, many officials felt a sense of shared sorrow, but Liu Lie disregarded them. He stood up, bowed to Liu Jilong, and said:
"Your Majesty, Hankou in Yunnan is vulnerable and may be bullied by barbarians. I have ordered the relevant officials to relocate 220,000 criminals from Jiangdong and Liangzhe to Yunnan, and the remaining nearly 300,000 to Lingxi and Annam."

"The current imperial examination has now entered the Lingnan Circuit. I believe that the imperial examination should not be stopped. It should be stopped only after the Lingnan Circuit imperial examination is completed."

Liu Lie spoke respectfully, but the assembled officials all knew this was just a formality.

"allow……"

As expected, after Liu Lie spoke, Liu Jilong on the golden platform nodded in agreement, deciding the fate of these more than 500,000 people.

The officials couldn't help but sigh inwardly. The climate in the southern border region was complex. Even if the young and strong people from the south could adapt, how many of the old and weak could?

Of these 500,000 people, it would be a stroke of good fortune if 400,000 arrived safely.

While the officials sighed, the other departments of the Southern Court began to report on some important events that had occurred in the past eight months.

After they finished reporting, the Five Military Commissions also reported, and then it was the turn of the Nine Ministries and the Censorate under the Three Departments and Six Ministries.

With the Nine Ministries and the Censorate having reported what they could, the sun was already setting, and it was only a little over half an hour before the evening drum sounded.

Seeing this, Liu Jilong did not continue the discussion, because he already knew almost everything he wanted to know, so he stood up after the ministers fell silent.

"Retreat..."

"Living to be tens of millions of years old!"

Yang Zhiwen raised his voice to announce the ceremony, and the officials retreated one after another from Zhenguan Hall. In the end, only Liu Jilong, Zhao Ying, Ximen Junsui, Liu Lie, and Zhang Chengye remained in Zhenguan Hall.

Liu Jilong stepped down from the golden platform, where Liu Lie waited respectfully.

"Let's go with Father..."

"Yes."

The irritation in his heart dissipated for some reason at this moment. Liu Jilong led Liu Lie out of Zhenguan Hall and wandered around the hall aimlessly.

Zhao Ying and the other two followed ten paces behind them, acting cautiously, afraid of overhearing something they shouldn't hear.

"How are the people in the capital region and Longyou doing during Father's inspection tour?"

Liu Lie walked for a long time before finally taking the initiative to start a conversation, but Liu Jilong shook his head slightly upon hearing it.

"Their lives are certainly much better than when they suffered from war, but they are far from achieving the goals I set for them."

"Now that the world is at peace and the people have a lot of farmland, even the people in the two capital regions can only eat rice and vegetables. A family of several people can only eat two catties of meat per month. You can imagine how difficult life is for the people in those remote areas."

Upon hearing Liu Jilong's words, Liu Lie, who had been to central Guizhou, naturally knew how the people there lived. Even so, he still comforted him, saying, "Father has already done very well."

“No…” Liu Jilong shook his head, then looked at Liu Lie: “Linzhou University focuses on ideological education, but it is somewhat lacking in engineering education.”

"Tomorrow you will go to Xiong'er Mountain with me. There are things you can learn there."

"Yes..." Liu Lie didn't know what his father was talking about, but as a son, he naturally had no right to refuse.

"You must be tired these days. Go back to the East Palace and get some rest."

There was no fancy official jargon; Liu Jilong simply used the most straightforward and unpretentious words to comfort his eldest son.

Upon hearing this, Liu Lie stopped in his tracks, while Liu Jilong walked slowly toward the inner court.

Seeing the father and son separate, Zhao Ying, Ximen Junsui, and Zhang Chengye quickened their pace. The first two caught up with Liu Jilong, while Zhang Chengye stayed by Liu Lie's side.

Liu Lie looked up at his father's back, feeling a mix of emotions.

Sometimes he felt like he was facing his own father, and after finally accepting it, his father turned out to be the Hongwu Emperor of that great man.

After finally getting him to accept this Hongwu Emperor, he then began to lecture him in the tone of a father.

"As a son, I find it difficult to grasp the identity of a son and a subject."

Liu Lie sighed inwardly, then turned and strolled toward the East Palace.

He was eager to know what his father planned to take him to Xiong'er Mountain to see, and what he could learn there.

His figure gradually faded into the distance, eventually disappearing from the square outside Zhenguan Hall, while Liu Jilong returned to Huiyou Hall at that moment.

Here, he met Feng Hui, whom he hadn't seen for eight months, and Feng Hui had just celebrated his fiftieth birthday.

Liu Jilong deliberately chose this day to return, but he never expected that Feng Hui would not wait for him to celebrate her birthday.

"Angry?"

Inside the Huiyou Hall, Liu Jilong looked at the aged-looking Feng Hui opposite him and felt a pang of guilt.

"His Majesty traveled with the Prince of Jiaohe, but did not mention the Second Son, Third Son, or Fourth Son."

"Has Your Majesty forgotten that you have these three children?"

Perhaps it's due to age, but Feng Hui, who was kind and generous in his youth, has become a bit temperamental now.

If it were anything else, Liu Jilong might have been tolerant of her, but he had no intention of letting his three sons off easily, given their eccentric behavior.

"I have spoken with the Prince of Jiaohe. The Second Prince and the others have been tempered and their temperaments have improved a lot, but they have not been completely changed."

"I have spoken with the Prince of Jiaohe. If they still cannot change after a year, then let them return."

"After they returned, I ordered them to stay quietly in Luoyang and not to go out and cause trouble."

Liu Jilong has undoubtedly failed in educating his children, but it's never too late to mend his ways.

Judging from the rest of his students whom he taught in Luoyang, the current situation is not bad.

"Your Majesty, they are your children..."

Feng Hui couldn't help but speak with resentment, but Liu Jilong shook his head and said, "Even the emperor is subject to the same laws as the common people."

"If I can't even manage my own family, how can I manage those officials who oppress the people?"

"There is no need to discuss this matter further. Jade must be carved to become a gem. I hope to see them return even more than Lady Xijun does."

"I am tired. I will return to Zhenguan Palace to rest today. My lady, please rest well."

Liu Jilong got up and walked outside. Seeing that he was unmoved by either soft or hard tactics, Feng Hui could only pretend to cry.

However, this tactic could not be hidden from Liu Jilong, who resolutely returned to Zhenguan Hall.

Feng Hui had no choice but to send a female official to find Liu Lie, but Liu Lie was preoccupied with the matter of going to Xiong'er Mountain the next day. He only asked the female official to comfort his mother and did not agree to the matter.

His position had only recently been secured. Even though he had been close to several of his younger brothers, no matter how close they were, he could not use his position to protect them.

The following day, with the jade carriage ready, Liu Lie rode it to Zhenguan Hall to pick up Liu Jilong.

The father and son sat in the carriage, which was escorted by the Imperial Guards to Xiong'er Mountain, southwest of Luoyang City.

"Did your mother come looking for you?"

Liu Jilong closed his eyes and asked, and Liu Lie responded, then agreed, "Your subject also thinks that the three younger brothers are too eccentric and should be disciplined."

“Hmm…” Liu Jilong nodded, then continued:

"Liaodong, Anxi, Beiting, Yunnan, Annam, Qianzhong, Lingxi and other places are all important border areas of the imperial court, and are very easy for generals to establish their own independent regimes."

"If any of your younger brothers are capable, I would like to select a few of them to govern local areas."

"Leaving the town?" Upon hearing Liu Jilong's words, Liu Lie's heart skipped a beat. After all, in his memory, the only way for a vassal king to leave the town was to be granted a fief.

In response, Liu Jilong explained to him: "They will be enfeoffed in important places and given only a salary, without enjoying a fief. Each prince's residence will be guarded by an army."

"After the hereditary system was downgraded, the court decided whether the prince should continue to govern a region based on the successor's talent."

The Han army numbered 5,000 men, a number far less than the garrison forces of princes during the Yuan and Ming dynasties. This was insufficient to threaten the regional military commands and the provincial surveillance commissions, but it was enough to keep them in check.

Moreover, considering the issue of imperial stipends in the late Ming Dynasty, Liu Jilong did not allow all princes to set up garrisons.

After all, according to the hereditary system of downgrading established by Liu Jilong, a prince would become a commoner after a maximum of nine generations.

Therefore, only the first-generation princes had guards. If their sons were talented, they would be demoted to the rank of Prince of the Commandery and continue to govern. If they were demoted again, they would be promoted to Duke of the State, Duke of the Commandery, Duke of the County, Marquis of the County, and so on.

Liu Jilong did not believe that any branch of the imperial clan could continuously select virtuous and talented individuals, therefore the practice of princes being sent to govern regions was only a matter of one or two generations.

One or two generations later, the royal family members who had been raised in such secluded mansions would be stripped of their guards and sent to govern a town, essentially becoming a patched-up version of the royal prince.

"If the population of the border regions becomes sufficient in the future, and you feel that it is unnecessary to implement the system of sending princes to govern, then this system can be abolished."

Liu Jilong did not expect the system of princes being sent to govern regions to continue for long, after all, it was only a temporary system in border areas such as Yunnan and Liaodong where there was a shortage of population and it was easy for them to become separatist.

As long as there is a sufficient population along the border, it can be abolished at any time, and even if the vassal kings want to rebel, this number of guards is not enough to succeed.

"My son, I know."

After hearing this, Liu Lie felt a little relieved.

After all, in his view, given the background that the former Tang imperial family members were often wiped out because they gathered in Luoyang, the imperial family members really could not all be kept in Luoyang.

Lost in thought, the jade carriage continued its journey, and Liu Lie, recalling the events of a few days prior, bowed to Liu Jilong and said:

“Father, in June of this year, King Kim Hwang of Silla passed away. Since he had no son, his sister Kim Man ascended to the throne as Queen. Kim Man requested the court to bestow an official title upon her, and I have already dispatched officials from the Ministry of Rites to Silla to do so.”

"Died again?" Upon hearing that another king of Silla had died, Liu Jilong was at a loss for words.

In the thirteenth year of the Hongwu reign, the Silla king, who had reigned for eleven years, died of illness. Less than a year later, the new king also died of illness. Now, there were no male heirs, so a woman had to be chosen to ascend the throne. Liu Jilong did not look down on women, but corrupt officials were rampant in Silla, and powerful families did not treat commoners as human beings. Ordinary people and slaves were full of resentment. This situation required a new king with ability and prestige, not just any woman to ascend the throne.

With three kings changing hands in a single year, if someone with ulterior motives were to incite even the slightest provocation, the common people within the country would inevitably rise up in rebellion.

The world is still dominated by powerful clans, and even Liu Jilong cannot directly clash with them.

If it weren't for the fact that the theory of heat damage destroyed the foundations of the powerful clans in Longxi, and Liu Jilong's dedication to popularizing education, his later eastward expansion and conquest of the powerful clans across the land would not have been so easy.

The powerful clans of Silla would inevitably incite peasant uprisings, establish themselves, and then use the peasants to deplete Silla's national strength before taking over its rule.

"Silla is not far from its demise..."

Liu Jilong offered his assessment, which moved Liu Lie slightly. He then said, "After all, Silla is a vassal state of the court. If internal strife is rampant, will the court..."

Liu Jilong shook his head, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Let them get into chaos first. If the court has the strength, then take everything; if it doesn't, then take the north and restore the territory of the four former commanderies of the Han Dynasty."

"Yes!" Liu Lie understood and immediately replied.
"Father, the kingdoms of Silla, Balhae, and Nanzhao have existed for a long time. Silla is already in internal strife, and Nanzhao is about to split apart. As for Balhae..."

Faced with this question, Liu Jilong gestured for him to stop, and explained, "You'll find out about the Bohai Sea matter later."

After speaking, Liu Jilong closed his eyes to rest, and Liu Lie also slowly shut his mouth, waiting for the jade carriage to stop.

Two hours later, as the jade carriage entered Xiong'er Mountain, it ultimately chose to head north into the deep valley within the mountain range.

Before long, a pass more than three hundred paces wide appeared in front of the valley, and the surrounding mountains were covered with trees.

Since Huang Chao burned Luoyang, many mountains near Luoyang have been completely deforested by the local people.

Later, although the imperial court ordered the planting of trees, Liu Lie never paid attention. He never imagined that so many years had passed and these trees had grown up. And behind this pass hidden in the deep valley, there was obviously something extremely important.

Thinking of this, Liu Lie recalled the gunpowder factory in Linzhou in the past and immediately looked at his father.

He was still resting with his eyes closed, while the guards at the pass, after checking him, allowed the carriage to enter the deep valley.

Upon entering the deep valley, the official road here is well-constructed and wide, and ahead lies a river valley plain within the deep valley.

On the plain, a small town stands, much like the gunpowder factory that Liu Lie had previously learned about.

Nearly a thousand Han soldiers were stationed here, and their relatives lived in the river valleys and plains deeper in the valleys.

Upon arriving at the east gate of this city, which has a circumference of three li, the Han army stationed there became even more strict, requiring even the imperial carriage to open its windows before allowing passage.

This situation made Liu Lieyin uneasy, but at the same time he knew that he had finally gained his father's approval.

As the jade carriage entered the city, the scene within it flashed into Liu Lie's mind.

It lacked the prosperity of an ordinary city. Although it had neighborhoods, the walls of the neighborhoods were as high as city walls, making each neighborhood seem like a small city.

"What do you know about the Ming Dynasty's engineering academy and engineering university, which the imperial court has run for many years?"

Liu Jilong suddenly spoke, his language increasingly leaning towards vernacular Chinese, while Liu Lie pondered for a moment before replying:

"Each province has one engineering university, totaling twenty in the country. However, because the country values ​​the imperial examination and neglects other subjects, the number of students in engineering universities last year was only over four thousand four hundred."

Twenty universities, more than 4,400 students, averaging just over 200 students per university, a pitifully small number.

"From what I know from my studies in Linzhou and my time overseeing the country, since the first imperial examination in the tenth year of Hongwu's reign, only thirty-two people have passed the imperial examination in the field of engineering. However, all the examination papers have been sealed and not even archived by the Ministry of Personnel. I heard that they have all been transferred away by Father."

"Hmm." Liu Jilong nodded and replied, "Since I started developing gunpowder, I have had countless skilled craftsmen under my command. Many students with talent in this area are also transferred to the gunpowder factory, but not to study gunpowder, but to study other things."

"Engineering universities teach a wide variety of subjects. Although most people think that engineering is useless, a small number of students who are interested in it study it."

"If they pass the imperial examination with high honors or demonstrate corresponding talents, they can come here to learn more advanced knowledge than that in engineering textbooks and develop many scientific products for the court."

"This city has thirty-two wards of varying sizes, each specializing in a particular field of study and research."

"Medicine, astronomy, arithmetic, physics, agriculture, metallurgy, chemistry, construction, machinery, ordnance... There are thirty-two disciplines and research directions in the thirty-two workshops, totaling one thousand three hundred and fifty-two people."

"Most of them are studying here as fifth-rank lower-level officials, and the objects of their study are some of my ingenious ideas."

"In the very center of this city, there is not an official residence, but an exhibition hall, where my brilliant ideas are displayed."

As soon as he finished speaking, the jade carriage stopped in front of the city's exhibition hall, and Liu Lie got off the carriage first at Liu Jilong's signal.

After he got out of the car, Liu Jilong also stepped off the jade carriage. What appeared in front of the father and son was a small "回"-shaped building covering several acres and three zhang high.

"Let's go."

Liu Jilong gestured for him to go inside, and inside the building, a map of the place was hung in a screen-like area.

Liu Jilong skillfully led Liu Lie to the left, saying as they walked, "There are research directions related to various disciplines inside the building. For example, the first room here is the research direction of the Ordnance Workshop."

Liu Jilong led Liu Lie to the first room on the left after turning left on the first floor. Outside the door was an old man who was in charge of the key.

He didn't bow to the two of them, but simply took out his key and opened the door, and Liu Jilong and Liu Lie followed him inside.

As soon as he stepped inside, Liu Lie's eyes were drawn to the things inside.

Inside the two-tenths-square-meter room, various weapons and strange objects were displayed on the table, with portraits behind them and detailed descriptions below the portraits.

[A flintlock musket is fired by striking a flint against the side of the trigger, using a spark to ignite gunpowder; it may have a rifled section...]

"This is a flintlock musket. There are already physical examples, but they are expensive and not easy to mass-produce, so they can only be private toys and are not open to the public for the time being."

Liu Jilong picked up the flintlock pistol from the table and handed it to Liu Lie.

Liu Lie took it and examined it carefully. After looking at the description on the portrait, he learned about the lethality of a rifled gun with Minié bullets. Liu Lie's eyes lit up, but he also saw the disadvantages of rifled guns and Minié bullets and couldn't help but show his disappointment.

After he placed the flintlock pistol on the gun rack on the table with both hands, Liu Jilong then led him to continue looking down.

From flintlock muskets to percussion rifles, from muzzle-loading to breech-loading rifles, from rifles to pistols, from single-shot rifles to multi-shot rifles, and then to submachine guns and machine guns...

Liu Jilong spent almost half an hour explaining just the line of firearms to Liu Lie, and the subsequent explanations of artillery, tanks, and airplanes left Liu Lie feeling dizzy.

If Liu Lie had not received the modern education pioneered by Liu Jilong in Longyou from a young age, and thus been able to understand many of its aspects, ordinary people would probably have thought these things were just fantastical tales.

After leaving the armory, he stood there for a quarter of an hour to process what had happened before emerging from his dazed state.

"are you tired?"

Liu Jilong looked at him with heartache, but Liu Lie shook his head. After a long while, he nodded again: "Father, you said that tank is related to steam engines and internal combustion engines, and that steam engines and internal combustion engines can develop tillage machinery that is even more powerful than oxen. What is that? Your son wants to go and see."

Seeing Liu Lie's serious expression, Liu Jilong nodded, then led him towards the Machinery Pavilion. As they passed the Medicine Pavilion, he spoke up as well:
"The smallpox vaccination method implemented by the imperial court starting in the third year of Hongwu was developed through research and experimentation by doctors in the medical clinics."

"Inoculation?" Liu Lie was taken aback; he knew how dangerous smallpox was.

Before the Han Dynasty implemented the smallpox inoculation method, the mortality rate of smallpox was about 50 or 60%. Now, due to the promotion of the inoculation method, the death rate from smallpox is only about 10 or 20 per 100.

The rapid population growth in the Han Dynasty owes much to the smallpox vaccination system.

To his surprise, Liu Jilong had already led him to the Machinery Pavilion, which mainly produced steam engines and internal combustion engines, and then developed ships, automobiles, trains, water pumps and tractors, as well as a complete set of lathes and drive technologies.

Of course, these things only exist on the scroll; most of them don't even have models.

Even so, it was enough to make Liu Lie gasp in shock.

He fell silent, especially after learning that steam tractors only required four to six people and could cultivate 100 acres of land per day with just two tractors, which was ten to twenty times more efficient than oxen today.

Steam trains that traveled tens to hundreds of miles a day, steam tractors that could cultivate hundreds of acres a day, and ships that could travel thousands of miles a day...

These various things made Liu Lie, who had received a modern education, exclaim in his heart that it was impossible, let alone ordinary Han people.

However, as he gradually calmed down, he realized that these things were possible, so he couldn't help but ask, "Father, how long will it take for the court to produce a steam engine?"

"It will be a long time, perhaps even longer than we live." Liu Jilong's answer surprised Liu Lie.

Before he could ask, Liu Jilong explained to him, "Manufacturing a steam engine is not a simple matter of a workshop and a few people. It involves a series of technologies such as mining, metallurgy, casting, processing, and sealing."

"Although the Han Dynasty is striving to develop, it does not yet possess such industrial technology and a complete set of technologies."

"Only by dedicating ourselves to research for decades or even centuries might we have a chance of developing it, but..."

Liu Jilong pondered for a moment, then looked at Liu Lie, whose eyes were burning with determination: "With the death of the person, the government ceases to exist."

He calmly uttered those four words, which immediately extinguished Liu Lie's enthusiasm, causing Liu Lie's expression to freeze slightly.

The phrase "when the person dies, the policy ends" has been a constant throughout history. No matter how a system was originally implemented, it will eventually become unrecognizable under the layers of reforms implemented by successive dynasties.

"You think these things are good because the world is sparsely populated these days, so you want to bring them out."

"But what if, decades or centuries later, the Han Dynasty has become vast and densely populated? What do you think the successor rulers will think?"

Liu Jilong questioned Liu Lie, who remained silent.

"When the people have nothing to do, they become arrogant and complacent; when they are forced to work, they are easily manipulated..."

Liu Lie silently uttered the words that Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, once said, and these words apply to any era.

When there are too many idle people, chaos will inevitably ensue, and there's nothing wrong with that.

But as soon as he said that, Liu Lie continued, "Didn't you give me the 'Map of the World' precisely to resolve this matter?"

The "Map of the World" is a global map drawn by Liu Jilong. In addition, he also commissioned craftsmen to create a huge sand table.

On the sand table, he had carved out the general terrain of various places. Although it was impossible to examine the details in detail, there were no major problems.

When Liu Lie mentions the "Map of the World," he is clearly referring to the vastness of the world. If the Han Dynasty had a dense population, it could conquer all directions, seize vast territories, and then settle immigrants.

In fact, Liu Jilong had not thought that way, because he knew how difficult it was to implement immigration and settlement in the middle and later stages of the dynasty, but he did not expect that Liu Lie would misunderstand his meaning.

For this reason, he did not answer Liu Lie immediately, but said, "If the territory is too large, it will be difficult to manage. If we divide it into various states, we will repeat the mistakes of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods."

"What will happen in the future is something neither you nor I, father and son, can predict. I can't even predict what will happen after I'm gone."

"I brought you here today simply to tell you that the Great Han Dynasty has such a place."

"The capital inspection involved too many things. Although you solved the problem, the officials' attitude towards you has changed."

"For the next two weeks, you should take a good look around here and see everything in the pavilion clearly."

"After I return to Luoyang, I will issue an edict to confine you to your quarters for half a month. You may return to Luoyang after half a month."

Liu Lie never expected that his father had brought him here just to put on a show for the court officials.

Although he wanted to argue, he knew that his father was right.

Before his father left, Liu Lie couldn't help but ask, "Father, during the capital inspection, I found quite a few people, but Zhao Ying said you forbade me to take action against them. Why is that?"

"What do you think?" Liu Jilong asked Liu Lie in return. Liu Lie pondered for a moment, but Liu Jilong didn't actually let him guess. Instead, after he had been thinking, he spoke:

"Do not use it just because the water is clear, nor should you discard it just because the water is turbid; use it when needed, and discard it when not needed."

"The Han Dynasty still needs them, which is why I have spared them."

"But if the Han Dynasty no longer needs them in the future, you may make your own decision."

Liu Jilong made a statement, and Liu Lie opened his mouth upon hearing this, but after a long pause, he said, "The teachings you left behind in Linzhou did not instruct me in this way..."

"Linzhou?" Liu Jilong slowly raised his head, his gaze passing through the courtyard inside the pavilion and looking up at the sky.

"The doctrines of Linzhou are fundamental to the Han dynasty, but when one is not strong enough, it is not wrong to make appropriate compromises."

"It's getting late, I should return to Luoyang."

"These four years of inspection in the capital have helped you grow a lot. I don't know what the future holds for you, but I am very satisfied with what you said today."

“Linzhou…” Liu Jilong murmured, a bitter smile on his lips, as he lifted his leg and walked out of the pavilion, his back gradually hunching over.

As he was about to step out of the pavilion, he couldn't help but stop and turn back to look at Liu Lie, who was watching him leave.

"Do you remember what the first sentence and the last sentence of the Linzhou textbook are?"

Faced with this question, Liu Lie paused for a moment, then subconsciously said, "The first sentence is 'The world belongs to all,' and the last four characters are..."

He was about to speak when Liu Jilong shook his head: "Keep these four words in mind, and keep them in mind whenever you govern in the future."

Without giving Liu Lie a chance to ask questions, Liu Jilong turned and walked out of the pavilion to the left, while Liu Lie stood there for a long time.

After a while, he lifted his leg and slowly walked forward, arriving at the gate of the cabinet and the gate of the armory.

He looked at the door of the armory, but did not go in. He turned around and walked out of the door, while the jade carriage outside had already disappeared.

"Your Highness, your residence is this way..."

The old man who had opened the door earlier followed and guided Liu Lie forward.

"Thank you." Liu Lie nodded in response, then followed the old man across the street, where he also saw many students discussing doctrines.

They were about the same age as Liu Lie, but they were full of vigor.

Liu Lie looked at them with some envy, but they didn't notice him at all.

After they left, the old man led Liu Lie into the neighborhood and brought him to the courtyard.

"Your Highness, you will be staying here for the next two weeks, and I will bring you your meals daily."

"Thank you."

Liu Lie thanked him repeatedly, and the old man bowed and left the courtyard. Liu Lie watched him leave before pushing the courtyard gate open.

The courtyard was a simple siheyuan (traditional courtyard house). Liu Lie, like an animal patrolling its territory, strolled around the courtyard before finally entering the main house's study.

There were many books on the bookshelf in the study. Liu Lie looked at the books and suddenly looked surprised. He reached out and pulled out the book.

Holding the book, he sat down in the chair in the study and opened it with a complicated expression.

This book, which shouldn't be here, appeared before him. Opening the first page, he was struck by what appeared to be Li Shangyin's "Genealogy of the Family of King Xiao of Liang in the Han Dynasty".

As he opened the book, Liu Jilong's jade carriage slowly moved outwards.

It slowly drove out of the city and passes, eventually returning to the official road, and finally appeared on the field road outside Luoyang.

Although it was already October, the dead of winter, before the imperial court had even begun recruiting workers, the people outside Luoyang were still braving the cold, using their farming tools to till the fields.

"Zhao Ying, stop."

Liu Jilong gave the order, and Zhao Ying, who was driving the carriage, decisively stopped the carriage. The Imperial Guards behind him also reined in their horses and stopped.

Footsteps came from inside the carriage. Liu Jilong opened the carriage door and got off the carriage before Zhao Ying could put on the saddle stool.

The wind was biting cold, and even though I was wearing a thick fur coat to shield myself from the cold, I still felt cold.

In the fields, countless people who were turning the soil in the cold wind stopped what they were doing and looked at Liu Jilong on the official road and the elite cavalry behind him.

In their eyes, this was the carriage of a nobleman, but in Liu Jilong's eyes, they were not merely ordinary citizens of the Han Dynasty.

"His Majesty?"

Seeing Liu Jilong standing there looking at the people, Zhao Ying cautiously stepped forward and called out to him.

"Erlang, do you think the world has really changed?"

Liu Jilong spoke softly, calling Zhao Ying "Second Brother".

This form of address startled Zhao Ying, her gaze softening before she nodded: "You've changed!"

"The people of the world are well-fed because of Your Majesty. Without Your Majesty, who knows how long the war would have continued to plague the people and how many more people would have died."

"You said things have changed..." Liu Jilong's voice was hoarse, but he couldn't help but lower his head as he looked at the people working in the cold wind.

"Though things are as they are now, how will the Han Dynasty be any different from the Tang Dynasty a hundred years from now?"

"Your Majesty..." Zhao Ying didn't know why his emperor was suddenly like this, but he subconsciously felt uncomfortable.

Not only him, but all the Imperial Guardsmen selected from various armies across the land also felt the pain.

"let's go……"

Liu Jilong raised his hand and wiped his slightly moist eyes, his gaze still lingering on the people in the fields.

He once said, "Ten years to pacify the world, ten years to achieve peace, and ten years to nurture the people."

Now that the first two have been fulfilled, perhaps he should take the last opportunity to complete his final promise.

"Your Majesty, let me help you into the carriage."

Zhao Ying bowed and asked, but Liu Jilong shook his head, looked at the people in the distance, and then at the six fine horses pulling the carriage.

"I am not so old that I can't ride a horse."

At Liu Jilong's signal, Zhao Ying brought over a fine horse, and Liu Jilong, with his help, mounted the horse.

Feeling the reins in his hands, Liu Jilong gazed at the distant city of Luoyang, then flicked the reins and galloped towards Luoyang.

The sound of horses' hooves clattered away, and Zhao Ying quickly mounted her horse and shook the reins, trying to catch up.

The snowstorm in Luoshui wasn't heavy, but he seemed unable to catch up with Liu Jilong at all, and could only watch helplessly as Liu Jilong disappeared at the end of the official road.

In the wind and snow, Zhao Ying seemed to hear a sound coming from ahead. At first, it was very faint, but it gradually became clearer.

"When the Great Way prevails, the world belongs to all."

(The End...)
(End of this chapter)